


What Needed to be Said

by Mariabella Baggins (AgentFrostbite)



Series: The Dragon Riders of Middle Earth [8]
Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: (sorry my tags are sloppy - I'm doing this quick), Author invented dragon species, Author takes many liberties with canon, Bella actually spits out what she needs to say, Bella and Thorin are smitten with each other, Cute moments before it All goes Wrong, Dancing, F/M, Female Bilbo Baggins, Fili and Kili are sweethearts, Hobbits know how to party, Hobbits ride dragons, Lucky still likes Thorin, Middle Earth needs more dragons, The Author Regrets Nothing, Thorin is a Sweetheart, author plays fast and loose with canon, because she has a categorizing obsession and an overactive imagination, obligatory dance scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:21:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22659247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentFrostbite/pseuds/Mariabella%20Baggins
Summary: Bella has a secret that she needs to say. Thorin's just started to reveal parts of himself he never had before. The heist has been planned, and the fate of Erebor hangs from a single, tenuous thread. The question is no longer, "Can it be done?" The question is "Will old enemies tip the balance in favor of the darkness?"
Relationships: Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield
Series: The Dragon Riders of Middle Earth [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1341334
Comments: 2
Kudos: 62
Collections: One Two Switcheroo





	What Needed to be Said

**Author's Note:**

> Gah, I'm sorry this is LATE and probably rougher than I think it is, but I wanted to get it out to y'all because I know you wanted it. We have finally reached the bit where Bella tells Thorin what she is, and hoo boy, this was hard to write. Honestly, the reason this took so long was because I still don't know if this is the right way to do it, but you know what? I've sat on it long enough, and if it's gonna get better, it's gonna be AFTER I stop lamenting about how to make it better. So please, let me know what y'all think! We're also within three or four (maaaaaaaaaaaaybe five?) stories of the finish line, and I'm interested to see how y'all think this is gonna end up going down. (Also I'm still figuring out if I want it to go smoothly and they be caught after, or if they should be caught in the act, or...) Reviews are always welcome, and thanks for reading!
> 
> Edit: I finally came back to this one and realized that I put the AUTHOR'S NOTE in the SUMMARY, so that has been fixed....

Bella stared at her overly fancy attire, running a hand over the beadwork and starting at the utterly foreign woman looking back at her from the polished glass. "Today's the day, Twilight," she announced with a ringing finality. "Last day in Erebor." The treaty had been finished and everything was done – signing the treaty, finalizing the ceremonies, packing everything up – and now what was left was the great feast and the trip home.

And, for her and the rest of Thorin's conscious, able family, stealing the Arkenstone and bringing it to the Fae in Farasail.

Under her grandfather's advice, she sent a note onward that she would be coming with visitors and was not to be treated as the Queen around them unless she specified upon her arrival. She gave no other explanation or orders, and Hayla wouldn't be happy with that, but she really couldn't do much about it. Bella was the Queen, and she never used that power for "Do, don't ask," except in times of extreme emergency.

Twilight appeared at Bella's side, nudging her to notify the Hobbit that she'd slipped into her thoughts. Bella chuckled and rested a hand on Twilight's head. "We'll be okay. Whatever happens, we'll be okay."

A quiet knock on the door drew her attention, and she looked toward it. "Come in," she called. The stone doors opened to reveal two Dwarves. Fili, the golden-haired one she'd saved a couple days ago, and Kili, his brother. Thorin's nephews. "Hello, boys."

"Hello, Miss Baggins," Fili greeted. His voice was quiet – a side effect of the Ladderleaf tea she used to counter the water hemlock – but his smile was bright. "We wanted to come check on you before the ceremony started and say a proper farewell."

"That's very kind of you," she replied warmly.

Kili stepped forward and presented her with an ornately decorated box. "As a token of our family's appreciation for saving my _nadad_ ," he explained.

With a curious expression and restrained anticipation in her movements, she opened the lid and saw a dagger. It was bright silver, with green and blue gems encrusted in the hilt, polished so thoroughly that she could see her reflected almost as perfectly as in the mirror. It was also surprisingly light, and the placement of each gem made a natural grip that was surprisingly comfortable. There was an inscription on the blade – in Khuzdul, of course – and it broke up her reflection in a rather enchanting way. "This is beautiful," she breathed, turning it over in her hands to examine every inch of it. She looked back up at them, and somehow managed to keep her gaze from going to the door, where she had an odd feeling that someone else was watching the scene. "Thank you all."

"You're very welcome. After all, it's a long trip back to your home, and you never know what you might run into along the way," Kili said. She held gazes with them for a long minute, and it was all she needed to know that Thorin had told them of where they would be going after the ceremony. "Be careful."

"We will," she answered steadfastly. They took their leave of her – though not before Twilight gave them both a good once-over to ensure that they were friendly – in Fili's case, perfectly healthy now – and that they hadn't taken anything. Bella sat on the edge of the bed, turning the dagger over in her hands. It really was an exceptional piece of metalwork. She wished she knew the significance of the stones, the stories etched into the blade, the meaning of the cues she could see but not understand.

Lucky awoke from his slumber, yawned in a positively adorable fashion, and then sniffed the air. "What is it?" Bella asked. He bounded over to the door – still cracked open from when the boys left and no-one bothered to close it – and chittered happily. All she could see was his whip-tail wagging, and eventually, Thorin walked in. "Ha," she remarked. "Good afternoon, Your Highness."

"Thorin," he corrected warmly.

"Thorin," she amended, with a rather audible bit of fondness. She looked down at the dagger, and her reflection stared back up at her. The runes danced across her face, and if she were any more fantastical, she might say they appeared to be etched into her skin. "Thank you for this. It's beautiful."

"It will serve you well," he replied, closing the distance between them. He paused for a moment, and she patted the edge of the bed beside her, inviting him to sit. Despite the rather large Oliphaunt in the room, it was a peaceful, tranquil sort of silence. "How have you enjoyed your stay Under the Mountain?"

"It's been wonderful," Bella answered. She looked away from the dagger and directly into his eyes. "To be around an entirely different culture, one I've only seen glimpses of, it's magical!" She winced slightly at her choice of words. "Touchy subject notwithstanding."

"Speaking of which, are you ready for tonight?" he asked. His hands twitched, as though he wanted to take ahold of hers, and both of them did and didn't want that, in equal parts, for what it would do to loosen her tongue.

"No," she answered honestly.

He sighed and looked away. "Me neither, but it must be done. For the kingdom."

What came over her in that moment, Bella couldn't say. All she was fully aware of was how her heart broke for the place he was in and that he needed comfort. When their eyes met once more, she had laid the dagger aside and taken his hands in hers. If she had enough conscious thought space to devote to it, she might've heard her father's words ringing in her ears. _"Bagginses have always been lovers before fighters."_ That rather true statement was lost among the pounding of her heart in her ears and the crescendo of her soul cheering gleefully as being matched to her Soulmate. "For your family," she added.

He turned his hands upwards and laced his fingers through hers, gripping them firmly but gently. "For family." There was something far more profound about that proclamation, deep and encompassing that involved more than just his bloodline and biological family. It warmed Bella's heart because now she _knew_ he felt the same way about her, but it also chilled her to the bone because it wasn't supposed to happen until after she'd told him, if he'd still have her once he knew what she was.

Dis's aborted _"Forest-witch"_ rang in the back of her mind, and the knock at the door pulled them both away from whatever might've come next – though, now that she was really thinking about it, Thorin looked as though he'd leaned closer while she'd been blanking out in her thoughts. "Bella, the party's in a few minutes! We don't want to be late!" Gerontius called.

"I'll be right out!" she shouted back before returning her gaze to Thorin's. "Perfect timing, as per usual."

He chuckled, and she let the sound wash over her. It reminded her of her father's wind chimes, the ones she'd lost in the back of one of her many closets. It brought serenity and calmness, and as she pulled her hands away from his, a feeling of deep contentment settled over her, one so powerful that not even the constant thoughts of needing to tell him could break it.

"I'll leave you to your preparations," Thorin said as he stood and backed up toward the door, clearly not wanting to look away from her.

"Save a dance for me?" Bella asked suddenly. Were they in the Shire, it might be considered a bit brazenly forward for her to request such a thing before the musicians even got started. As this was Erebor and Dwarves were unaccustomed to Hobbitish courting traditions, she felt the surge of bravery and took advantage of it.

"At the very least, Miss Baggins," Thorin promised in parting. She picked up the dagger once more, looked it over, and then replaced the one she'd strapped to her hip. It fit the sheath perfectly.

* * *

Bella was the one bright spot that Thorin so desperately needed to cling to. Fili would be at the party, though he wouldn't stay long, under the behest of his mother, whose worry lines got deeper every day. Kili promised to stay by Thorin's side until Thorin and Bella and Frerin left for Farasail, and Thorin didn't have the heart to refuse his earnest expression. Vili and Uma remained with Thrain, still lost to the depths of his coma. Thror was likely prancing around his treasure room, and Thorin spared only three dark thoughts for that situation before he made himself focus on better, brighter things.

The Royal Family would appear first to take their seats at the head of the main table during the feast. Then the esteemed Hobbit delegation would take places where the council normally sat, the council would be moved further down the table, and the rest was up to a long line of traditions and ranking families and other such things Thorin didn't have time to memorize.

The Hobbits were most definitely out of place in the grand space, and if everyone had not been informed beforehand that the Hobbits valued growing things like Dwarves valued jewels and wealth, they might've been chased off for coming while dressed so plainly. Despite the lack of Dwarven-appropriate finery, Bella completely stole his attention, so thoroughly that Frerin had to nudge him twice to recapture his attention. "Could you _be_ more obvious?" his nadadith joked. Lacking a proper rebuff, Thorin settled for glaring at him.

The feasting portion went well, all things considered. There were occasional mishaps, concerning cultural differences, and Thror was…well… There wasn't words for it that hadn't already been uttered by the entirety of the council, on more than one occasion. None of them brought up a single utterance.

Once the groups left the tables behind and headed to the dancing hall, the Hobbits seemed infinitely more relaxed. "I thought Hobbits loved to eat," Kili remarked.

"Aye, that they do, laddie," Balin replied. Thorin smiled at the advisor. "But not in so fancy a way or place as here."

"Someone _did_ threaten to stab a dragon with a fork, so I understand the tenseness," Dis added.

"If only he'd tried it, we might've had some peace this night…" Thorin muttered.

"You're in a mood." Dis nudged her brother and they both smiled. "Perhaps the Hobbit lass is responsible for such openness?"

"I'm not answering that," Thorin replied, trying and failing to look grumpy.

As it turned out, what Hobbits lacked in refinery, they more than made up for with jovial dancing. There were none so tireless as the large-footed outsiders, who picked up Dwarvish dances with ease, invented their own, and taught the Dwarves some Shire melodies and the jigs that went with them. At some point, Fili and Kili roped Bella into picking up a fiddle, and she insisted upon standing on a table. "I have experience playing this song, and dancing to it, and I'm too old to be foolish enough to stay on the ground for it," she defended herself.

It was a rather correct defense. About half the Dwarves knew the song, and the jolly, upbeat tune quickly plunged the entire room into various dances. It wasn't long before most of the Dwarves were trying to lean how the Hobbits danced this particular one. Dis and Frerin pulled Thorin into it, and between watching his feet to make sure they were moving correctly and watching everyone else's to ensure no toes were stepped on, he was watching Bella. She danced her heart out _while_ playing with an expert touch, and somehow maintaining enough breath to add her own voice to the chorus that filled the halls of Erebor with joy they hadn't seen in far too long. Her curls, left loose but tied away from her face with a wooden clip, swung this way and that, spinning and flying with every move she made. Her emerald eyes sparkled with pure delight, and more than once, she met and held his gaze for just a few seconds longer that might strictly have been proper, not that they cared.

For just a moment of time, nothing was wrong with the world. There was peace and happiness, joy and mirth, and if Thorin could, he'd capture the moment in a bottle and hold it close for the dark times ahead.

She played another song before she turned the fiddle over to someone else, another Hobbit in the delegation who struck up an equally lively – but not quite so life-celebrating – tune, and Thorin took leave of his kin and waved through the crowd to get to her. She was discussing something with another Dwarf, the one who knew the song and had a flute and so had joined her on the table. Thorin was sure he'd seen that hat more than once, but couldn't remember the name of who it belonged to. The other Dwarf said something that caused her to laugh in delight. It sounded like crystal clear wind chimes that reminded him of still lakes, clear skies, and pleasant breezes.

"Apologies for interrupting," Thorin cut in, "but I recall promising a dance."

"Oh, of course!" Bella exclaimed. She patted the other Dwarf on the arm, a cordial and friendly gesture. "Thank you again for the accompaniment, Bofur," she told him, "and give my well-wishes to your cousin."

"But of course, Miss Bella of the Fair Green Fields," Bofur answered with a flourishing bow, complete with swooping his hat off his head. "May Durin smile upon you and your house."

"And Yavanna upon yours. I'll see you again some time," Bella added in parting. Bofur gave a bow to Thorin, who nodded back, and then melted into the swirling crowd. "What a night!" she exclaimed. "How have you been enjoying the party?" Her cheeks were flushed pink with the ale she'd had, the dancing she'd done, and something just a little more than that.

"Much better than most I've been to," Thorin answered, offering her his hand. She took it and gathered her skirts in the other. He pulled her close, placing his hand on her hip, and he was sure he didn't imagine the slight shiver beneath his touch. They began to move with the rest of the crowd in whatever more ballroom-suited dance they were currently swaying to. "I imagine that has much to do with the joy your people brought to our halls."

"Hobbits do love a good party," she replied. This, too, was a moment Thorin would gladly have bottled up and kept close to his heart for the rest of time. Her in his arms, attention on him and him alone, with the rest of the world faded out around them. "I cannot thank you enough for all the help and patience you've given us," she added.

"I contest; it is we who should be thanking you," he replied. "You've been far more tolerant of our people's ire than we have been of your shortcomings." He paused. "That wasn't quite-"

"No, it's fine," she cut him off. "I agree – those situations might've been handled better if we'd been honest with you." Now it was she who paused. "Thorin, I…" She sighed, closing her eyes and gathering her words. "I need to tell you something before we leave tonight."

He frowned. "You're not having second thoughts?"

"Gracious, no! No, this _needs_ to be done, but I have to tell you something before we go," she answered. She stopped and stepped away, and time froze. It was them, in the middle of a crowd, with something unspeakable on her lips. "I'm not what you think I am."

"What do you mean?" Suspicion curled in his gut, and a deep feeling of dread gathered in his heart. "Bella, what are you talking about?"

Lucky and Twilight flew above them, perching on a rafter directly above Bella and unnerving anyone who noticed. They very much looked like they were ready to spirit her away. It made those feelings that much worse. He opened his mouth to speak, and then she talked over him. "I'm a Fae."

And then the world truly did stop.

There was something worse than disbelief settling in his gut. It was pure, utter betrayal. "You're not," he said, though there was no emotion in his tone, No anger, no hurt, no contest. He didn't want to believe it, but somewhere deep down, he knew. He _knew_ because everything added up. The tree-light, how the dragons acted around her, her knowledge of Faish history, the _energy_ she showed in some moments.

That coil of magic between her and Lucky, staring into the twisting flames.

Bella could only shake her head, tears gathering in her emerald eyes. It wasn't denial. It was acceptance that he knew and the refusal of everything they might've been shattering into a million pieces and gathering around their ankles. He stepped back, and Bella moved a half-step toward him. She stopped, though, and held herself at the distance. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined it being this bad. She wasn't just a dragon-charmer, she was one of his people's sworn enemies. She was a _Fae_. It didn't matter that she was his One; he couldn't ally himself with her on a matter like this and trust her.

He couldn't trust her at all.

Burying his turbulent feelings, he turned and strode away in as cold and collected a manner as he could, leaving her, the party, and any hope of Erebor restored in the dust.


End file.
